As of 2025, the world is home to more than 7,000 spoken languages, reflecting the incredible diversity of human culture and communication. Yet despite this vast number, only a small fraction of these ...

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their ...

Language is one of the most powerful links between past and present, carrying culture, tradition, and history across centuries. While thousands of languages have disappeared, some have endured for ...

Dots on the maps in this piece represent, among other things, efforts to revitalize a language as well as communities of speakers. Most people think of endangered languages as far-flung or exotic, the ...

Over 7,000 languages are spoken worldwide. In 2025, over 7,000 languages are spoken worldwide, yet just a handful dominate global communication. These top languages aren’t only defined by their native ...